Where to go if you have 2 days in Shanghai? Two days is enough time to visit most of the attractions in Shanghai or you can even take a day trip to nearby Suzhou. If you're just in transit through Shanghai and only have limited time to visit, then here are the best suggestions to help you make most of your 2-day vacation.
Shanghai Attractions Map (click to enlarge)
If you are already in Shanghai, or will arrive Shanghai in the early morning, and need to leave Shanghai at the late night after your tour. This 2-day itinerary allows you spend 2 full days to explore Shanghai city downtown highlights.
Day 1: Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center - Yu Garden - Nanjing Road - The Bund - Huangpu River Cruise
If you are already in Shanghai and plan to start your trip in the morning, you can first go to Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center in the downtown, which is the largest urban planning exhibition hall and is a popular museum for Shanghai new-visitors. If you just arrived in Shanghai on the same day and only have a half-day, you can start your Shanghai tour with Yu Garden, a classical Chinese garden with a history of over 400 years, and take some time to wander around Yuyuan Bazaar. Then head to Nanjing Road, which is the oldest shopping street in Shanghai that has been extended to the Bund. When night falls, you'll find all the tourists flocking to The Bund, where you can not only enjoy the charm of the fusion of Eastern and Western cultures, but also marvel at the most prosperous night view of Shanghai in the Lujiazui area. If you want to fully appreciate the magic of Shanghai, you cannot miss the Huangpu River Cruise and the night cruise is the most recommended, because you can see the skyscrapers and historical sites all lighted up by colorful lights.
Highlights of this Itinerary
Urban Planning Exhibition Center
Yu Garden
Nanjing Road
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The Bund
Day 2: Oriental Pearl Tower/Shanghai Tower/Jinmao Tower - Shanghai Museum East - Wukang Road - Tianzifang
Today, continue to Shanghai Pudong (east of the Huangpu River) area, first choose one of the skyscrapers such as Oriental Pearl Tower - the most famous landmark in Shanghai / Shanghai Tower - the tallest building in China and second tallest one in the world with the total height of 632m / Jinmao Tower - one of the most tallest skyscrapers in Lujiazui area to enjoy the amazing panoramic view of downtown Shanghai. Shanghai Museum East, also in Pudong area, is dubbed "Textbooks of Chinese Art History" with 8 permanent galleries including bronzes, calligraphy, painting, seals, ceramics, currency, sculpture, and Jade, etc. Then come back to Puxi (west of the Huangpu River) area and spend some leisure time in Wukang Road, an old foreign community has been well-preserved with massive early 20th century western-style mansions. If you have more time, you can go to the nearby Tianzifang, which is a block of old lanes of cultural and artistic features, where you can enjoy the daily life of the Shanghainese and modern flavor of local snacks, lovely bars, souvenir shops, etc.
Highlights of this Itinerary
Oriental Pearl Tower
Shanghai Tower
Shanghai Museum East
Wukang Road
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☛ 3 Days Shanghai Past and Present Contrast Tour (at Leisure Pace)
If you want to extend your Shanghai trip and visit the suburban water towns, then you can only spend one day in downtown Shanghai and set aside one another day to visit the nearby Zhujiajiao Water Town.
Day 1: Shanghai Museum East - Yu Garden - The Bund
To ensure you have enough time to visit, it is recommended to start your Shanghai tour in the morning. First, head to the Shanghai Museum East in the Pudong (east of the Huangpu River) area to appreciate remarkable ancient Chinese arts through rich collections of the bronze, ceramics, paintings, calligraphic works, etc. Continue come to Yu Garden in Puxi (west of the Huangpu River) area to get a glimpse at classical Chinese garden architecture and abundant traditional culture, as well as experience the lively atmosphere of Yuyuan Bazaar and taste some local snacks. Then you can walk directly to the Bund to enjoy the dazzling night view along the Bund, the Huangpu River and the Lujiazui area.
Day 2: Zhujiajiao Water Town
Considering factors such as time, distance, and the value, we recommend that you choose Zhujiajiao in Qingpu District, 48 kilometers (about 1 hour by car) from Shanghai downtown for a half-day visiting. Reputed as "Venice of Shanghai", Zhujiajiao Water Town is the closest and largest water town in Shanghai. Since most of water towns are located in the suburbs far from the city downtown with inconvenient transportation, we strongly recommend you choose our Shanghai tour packages including water towns with English-speaking guide and private driver or customize the itinerary that includes the water towns according to your needs.
Highlights of this Itinerary
Zhujiajiao Water Town
Kezhi Garden in Zhujiajiao
Hexin Garden in Zhujiajiao
Yuan Jin Temple in Zhujiajiao
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☛ 3 Days Shanghai Highlights Tour Water Town Visit (including 1 day for arrival)
Thanks to the convenient high-speed rail network, you can get from Shanghai to Suzhou within half an hour and take a city day trip, so it becomes feasible to visit both Shanghai and Suzhou in just 2 days.
Shanghai Suzhou Travel Map (click to enlarge)
Day 1: Shanghai Museum East - Oriental Pearl Tower/Shanghai Tower/Jinmao Tower - The Bund
If you arrive in Shanghai on the same day, you will have very limited time to visit city downtown. First, head to the Shanghai Museum East in the Pudong (east of the Huangpu River) area to appreciate remarkable ancient Chinese arts through rich collections of the bronze, ceramics, paintings, calligraphic works, etc. Then choose one of the skyscrapers such as Oriental Pearl Tower - the most famous landmark in Shanghai / Shanghai Tower - the tallest building in China and second tallest one in the world with the total height of 632m / Jinmao Tower - one of the most tallest skyscrapers in Lujiazui area to enjoy the amazing panoramic view of downtown Shanghai. Continue to the Bund in the Puxi (west of the Huangpu River) area at evening to enjoy the dazzling night view along the Bund, the Huangpu River and the Lujiazui area.
Day 2: Suzhou Silk Museum - Humble Administrator's Garden - Pingjiang Road
Departing from Shanghai today, take the morning high-speed train to Suzhou, which only takes about half an hour to arrive. First go straight to Suzhou Silk Museum, which is the first museum that specializes in silk in China and well demonstrates the thousand years’ Chinese silk history, displays silk relics, fragments, garments and tapestry, etc. Then come to the most classic Chinese garden - Humble Administrator's Garden, which listed as World Heritage Site in 1997 by UNESCO. It is a representation of Jiangnan classical garden with a combination of buildings, ponds, bridges, paths and trees arranged in a specific manner, and is now the largest classical garden in Suzhou. Continue to the nearby Pingjiang Road, a historical street which dates back to the South Song Dynasty, to experience the local charm of Suzhou.
Highlights of this Itinerary
Suzhou Railway Station
Suzhou Silk Museum
Humble Administrator's Garden
Pingjiang Road
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Shanghai applies to the 240-Hour Transit Visa Exemption. Visitor from 50+ foreign countries who hold valid travel document & connecting flights to a third country/region can stay in Shanghai and other permitted regions of China up to 240 hours without a Chinese Visa. If you have a short layover less than 24 hours, you also don’t have to apply for a visa to visit Shanghai.
Being a modern city with less natural sights, Shanghai can be visited all year round. Summer (June to August) is hot and rainy with roughly 60% of the annual total amount. The hottest period of Shanghai happens in July or August, when the daytime temperature rises above 30℃. Shanghai during winter (December to February) is cold, humid. It seldom snows, if has, often occurs in the coldest January and February. Hence, the ideal times to visit Shanghai are warm spring (March to May) and cool autumn (September to November) with the most comfortable temperature, more sunny days and colorful natural scenery.
There are two airports in Shanghai - Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) with international flights covering over 130 international cities (regions) and Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA) mainly with domestic flights between Shanghai and Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Guilin and other major destinations in China. Shanghai has a well-developed high speed train network in China and well-linked with Beijing, Tianjin, Shandong (Jinan, Qufu, Mount Tai...), Jiangsu (Suzhou, Nanjing, Wuxi...) through China’s busiest high speed railway - Beijing Shanghai High Speed Railway. You can also get to Shanghai by international cruise from Japan, South Korea or by Yangtze River Cruise from Chongqing and other cities in the upper reaches.
Accommodation choice in Shanghai is plentiful, so you can easily find hotels top luxury brands, modish boutique hotels to budget types. Hotels in the downtown Shanghai close to the Bund and People’s Square is the best accommodation area for most travelers. Because they have perfect location to the Bund, Nanjing Road and offer quick access to lots of excellent restaurants and shopping.
A classic Shanghai city tour usually takes about 2 days. If you have 1 to 2 days more, you can either extend your trip from Shanghai to Suzhou, feel the elegant classical gardens, immerse in the serene ancient water townships and catch a glimpse of the fabulous Chines silk culture; or use 2 days to visit Hangzhou, view the West Lake, old-line Lingyin Temple and learn more about the famous Longjing Tea. It’s quite popular to extend a Hangzhou tour to one of the nearby water towns, like Wuzhen, Xitang for 1 extra day. Taking 5 ~ 6 days is enough to cover the essence of Shanghai Suzhou Hangzhou. Nature loves are highly suggested a Huangshan Mountain tour if you fitness and time allows. It needs 3 to 4 more days for a typical hiking trip with nearby World Heritages (Hongcun, Xidi Ancient Villages...).
To help you enjoy a worry-free trip to Shanghai, we suggest you travel with us, and our local guide and driver will escort you from your hotel to the scenic area and our guide will take you to the best sightseeing deck and give interesting introduction of the sites and stories to enrich your experience. All you need is to focus on the highlights. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us directly!
No matter how many days you plan to stay in Shanghai, China Discovery always has a suitable tour for you. We are also specialized in high-quality private tours as well as tailor-made tour packages that fit you best according to your own interests, requirement, traveling time, etc. Below are the Most Popular Shanghai Tour Packages 2025/2026. If you have no idea where to start, please don't hesitate to contact our travel experts for help.
Explore the old and new of Shanghai, admire the past cultural heritages among the modern scrapers, meet perfect blend of traditional and urbanization
Explore the 3 most popular destinations of the Yangtze Delta - Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Suzhou by the fast bullet trains. Every day is connected well, without any waste of time and money.
In this 2-day classic Shanghai tour, you will discover top iconic landmarks of Shanghai like the Bund, Yu Garden, Shanghai World Financial Center to appreciate the real charm of Shanghai. Everything is perfectly arranged!
Looking for a unique Shanghai tour which is different from the regular itineraries? Here it is - A harmony between soft and hard landscapes results in one of a kind holiday in Shanghai.
Traveling Shanghai with Huangshan, the Yellow Mountain takes you traverse from modern to ancient, from fashion to tradition, from city’s hustle and bustle to tranquility and quietness in this area.
Make your Disney dream tour come true with fancy experiences. View modern skyline and ancient sites to deeply understand magic of Shanghai!
A short but essential trip to Shanghai and Beijing, the two main parts of China will show you a seamless blend of ancient imperial wonders and a modern metropolis. Furthermore, it will be a lifetime memory to take a bullet train from Shanghai to Beijing in just 5 hours.
Take 4 days to discover the urban vitality of Shanghai and time-treasured classic heritages of Suzhou, feel distinct charm of the ancient and modern.
Start planning your tailor-made holiday to China by contacting one of our specialists. Once inquired, you’ll get a response within 0.5~23.5 hours.
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